I think I messed up :(

[david_viny]

I was spraying throttle body cleaner in the intake and the little hose thing fell off, and got sucked into the engine. Of course the engine was at mid range rpm to keep it running while spraying the cleaner so that plastic hose sucked in REALLY fast.

Well I couldn’t see it in the intake manifold at all, so I drove it around for like 45 min hoping that if it somehow got throw the intake valve and out the exhaust valve that maybe driving it for a while would hopefully burn what was left of it. I did a few WOT pulls and it feels ok.

SEEMS to run ok, actually a tiny bit smoother probably from the cleaner. I just hope that it’s all burned off and I didn’t damage anything like say a bent intake valve or messed up the cat converters (brand new btw)

Anyone think I really messed up the engine?

[Benner]

Good chance it's still stuck in the intake manifold. You really should take the manifold off and check it out cause there is a really good chance it could mess up the valves.

[david_viny]

CRAP. You think it still could be there after like 4 runs to redline?

[570SX]

Good chance it's still stuck in the intake manifold. You really should take the manifold off and check it out cause there is a really good chance it could mess up the valves.

you think so? my gut reaction was that the 20inHg vacuum he's probably making at idle would have sucked that thing into a cylinder right away, where it got chopped up by the inlet valve then burned, piece by piece, in the cylinder, all in the space of a small fraction of a second. it's only plastic. i'm not sure it would actually hurt the valve face or valve seat. even stock spring exerts, what, 150lb-force? and the area of contact between seat and face is almost negligible, so the pressure acting on that valve seat-to-valve face contact area is sky high, and plastic has a very low ultimate strength, especially when hot. in fact the valve and seat are probably hot enough to actually melt the plastic, but i don't know if it would be there long enough to transfer enough heat to melt it. we are talking on the order of thousandths of a second here. still, i think the valve and seat would probably go through it like butter, if the little straw were to make it that far.

that said, if it were me, i'd be pulling that intake to look for it. it's not that hard, and i'd personally rather not find out whether or not that one unlucky valve will still seal after chopping up a plastic straw. go ahead and order the intake mani gaskets now b/c at least at my local stores nobody had them in stock last time i needed a set.

[LSx Heaven]

Good chance it's still stuck in the intake manifold. You really should take the manifold off and check it out cause there is a really good chance it could mess up the valves.

Like he said, it is very possibly wedged in there. I know the velocity of the air is high, but "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

[Benner]

you think so? my gut reaction was that the 20inHg vacuum he's probably making at idle would have sucked that thing into a cylinder right away, where it got chopped up by the inlet valve then burned, piece by piece, in the cylinder, all in the space of a small fraction of a second. it's only plastic. i'm not sure it would actually hurt the valve face or valve seat. even stock spring exerts, what, 150lb-force? and the area of contact between seat and face is almost negligible, so the pressure acting on that valve seat-to-valve face contact area is sky high, and plastic has a very low ultimate strength, especially when hot. in fact the valve and seat are probably hot enough to actually melt the plastic, but i don't know if it would be there long enough to transfer enough heat to melt it. we are talking on the order of thousandths of a second here. still, i think the valve and seat would probably go through it like butter, if the little straw were to make it that far.

that said, if it were me, i'd be pulling that intake to look for it. it's not that hard, and i'd personally rather not find out whether or not that one unlucky valve will still seal after chopping up a plastic straw. go ahead and order the intake mani gaskets now b/c at least at my local stores nobody had them in stock last time i needed a set.

All a likely possibility but like the post above stated, I'd check it just to be sure. Very likely it could've passed through with no problem but I'd like to be sure if it were my car.

[FORD RECOVERY EXPERT]

ntake is fairly easy to pull... it'd be worth the peace of mind to me.

[0rion]

yep, I'd pull the intake and at least look for it. Don't really need to change the gaskets on the intake. I've had mine off 10 times and never changed them.

[570SX]

to each his own. good luck . hope your straw is stuck in the mani somewhere.

[FORD RECOVERY EXPERT]

i doubt that straw f'd anything up, the intake suggest is just for peace of mind.

[david_viny]

Yea I'm deff going to take off the manifold. I would never stop thinking the straw was in there while driving unless I check lol.

I really hope it’s in there. I wish I just turned the engine off and came on the forum lol, I thought for sure that thing was in the cylinder before I could blink.

Is there any special tools or parts needed to take off the manifold? I just need the intake gasket and nothing else right? (If the old one looks crappy that is)

Thanks a lot,
-Dave

[Speedy_Gonzales]

I always just spray the cleaner in while the engine is off. It sputters a little when I crank it back up but clears up in a matter of seconds.

[FORD RECOVERY EXPERT]

yep, I'd pull the intake and at least look for it. Don't really need to change the gaskets on the intake. I've had mine off 10 times and never changed them.

Yea I'm deff going to take off the manifold. I would never stop thinking the straw was in there while driving unless I check lol.

I really hope it’s in there. I wish I just turned the engine off and came on the forum lol, I thought for sure that thing was in the cylinder before I could blink.

Is there any special tools or parts needed to take off the manifold? I just need the intake gasket and nothing else right? (If the old one looks crappy that is)

Thanks a lot,
-Dave

Its an O-Ring Style Gasket Setup... No Need to replace unless you F it up...

[0rion]

go to ls1howto.com and look at the ls6 intake manifold swap. That'll guide you through it pretty much step by step.

[570SX]

for future reference, i've always had better luck w/ engine off, take a rag with you. spray the brake cleaner on the throttle plate and bore, then get that rag all around it and on both sides and the edge of the plate. takes all that crap off nicely and leaves nothing behind. always seems like just spraying never does much. maybe that's just me and my old cars . . .

[Speedy_Gonzales]

for future reference, i've always had better luck w/ engine off, take a rag with you. spray the brake cleaner on the throttle plate and bore, then get that rag all around it and on both sides and the edge of the plate. takes all that crap off nicely and leaves nothing behind. always seems like just spraying never does much. maybe that's just me and my old cars . . .

brake cleaner ????

[0rion]

also, you can take the throttle body off in 10 minutes. It's 3 bolts. Might try to do that and look back in the intake for your straw without having to pull the intake off.....might get lucky.

[Black 99 Bird]

also, you can take the throttle body off in 10 minutes. It's 3 bolts. Might try to do that and look back in the intake for your straw without having to pull the intake off.....might get lucky.

Good point.

[david_viny]

For that fuel evap hose thing with the weird white connector, do you push it completely out or ?? And which end? I already half broke it. It connects on the right side of the manifold behind the throttle body.

Thanks

BTW taking the rear injector connectors off SUCKED BUTT!

[david_viny]

Eh I figured it out.

Got intake off, no sign of the straw


Tomorrow i am going to push a small rag through each runner just to make sure.